


The Thing That Wrecks You

by SneetchesToo



Series: Nightfall [4]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: F/M, Family, Fluff, Slow Burn, these two nuts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:07:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24379939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SneetchesToo/pseuds/SneetchesToo
Summary: In the aftermath of their not so agreeable choices, Michelle and Owen are forced to really analyze their feelings for each other.Or…These two lovebirds are the only two who don’t know that they’re meant to be together.
Relationships: Michelle Blake/Owen Strand
Series: Nightfall [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1638826
Comments: 24
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *This follows up after the finale and then some. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll go too much farther into the story or wait for the new season.

The past week had been a wild one and Owen’s head hadn’t stopped spinning.

After TK was shot everything seemed to move in slow motion and one day felt like ten.

He and Michelle had barely talked since the night of her nightmare, save for the occasional ‘you okay’ text here and there.

But she had started to push him away and he had started to push back and here they were.

Ten days out and not speaking to each other.

He thought it was a little ridiculous but alas he was trapped.

So when Zoe had texted him out of the blue and asked if he wanted to have dinner he had said ‘yes’.

What could dinner and a few drinks hurt?

What could sex with her hurt?

Hell, at this point, some human contact would do him some good.

And then he had found himself taking her to the hospital with him and he wasn’t sure why because it really wasn’t her place.

But of course, as always, nothing went according to plan and TK woke up while he was showing his “date” around.

The boy had been surprised to say the least when he noticed the strange woman in the room and after he had escorted Zoe into the hallway and told her to give him a few minutes he had returned to TK’s bedside.

He was staring him down, his eyes curious and wide as he silently judged him.

And then he was asking questions about Zoe so he had to counter back before he could caught in a web of lies.

But after TK answered his questions about Carlos he had fired back once again.

“I thought you were dating Michelle?” He closed his eyes as he tried to ignore the question.

“Michelle and I are…” He didn’t know what they were.

Hell, right now, they appeared to be nothing.

“Well you’re something because she’s been coming around an awful lot.” TK had a point but he didn’t want to acknowledge that.

“It’s complicated…” He ran a hand through his hair and TK just laughed.

“Complicated because you like her?” He snapped his head up at the question. “Or complicated because you don’t?”

He didn’t answer, instead choosing to stare the boy down in hopes that he would forget the question.

“Come on dad…” He fell back against the cushions with a sigh as he gave him a curious look. “You made me tell you about Carlos…”

“Yeah, well…” He wanted to pull the dad card but he knew that wouldn’t cut it here.

“Just tell me what’s going on.” TK reached out and patted his knee and he suddenly felt very, very small. “Do you like Michelle?”

“Of course I like her!” He didn’t know why he felt like he needed to defend himself so violently but he did.

“Ooookay… so if you like her, what are you doing about it?” He could hear the annoyance in his son’s words and he closed his eyes for a second before shaking his head.

“I don’t know.” And that was the truth.

Right?

He didn’t know what they were or what the hell they were doing.

He knew that he liked her, a lot.

He knew that he enjoyed spending time with her, a lot.

But he didn’t know where her head was in all of this and it was starting to get too complicated.

“That’s such a you response.” TK rolled his eyes as he shook his head.

“Well I don’t know how to be anyone else.” Sarcasm probably wasn’t his friend right now but it was worth a shot.

“So what’s with Zoe then? Do you like her?” He raised an eyebrow because he sensed a ‘but’. “Or do you just like having fun with her?”

He definitely enjoyed the sex, he wouldn’t lie.

But there was no emotion, no attachment, no nothing.

“We have fun together.” There, he said it, end of story.

“Like ‘we enjoy each other’s company fun’ or ‘we have really good sex fun’?” He couldn’t believe the kid was asking him that question and he let out a huff.

“Excuse you?!” He didn’t have to answer that question did he?

“So you and Zoe are just fuck buddies then?” He wanted to slap the kid but considering he had just been shot he figured that probably wasn’t wise.

“Yes.” He had let that answer slip and he instantly regretted it when TK’s eyes went wide.

“Does Michelle know about her?” He didn’t know what that had to do with anything, but okay.

“Yes.” TK’s eyes grew about ten times and he shook his head.

“And she’s okay with you having sex with another woman?” And then it clicked.

“I’m not having sex with Michelle.” God it sounded bad saying that out loud.

“So you’re dating one and screwing the other?” It was Owen’s turn to shake his head. “That’s low, even for you.”

“No! No, it’s not like that.” He whispered. “I haven’t seen Zoe since Michelle and I started whatever it was that we started.”

“So why now?” That was a very good question.

“I don’t know.” He didn’t know the answer to that, at least he didn’t think he did. “Michelle and I haven’t talked in a while.”

“Well her sister did die so…” He had a good point and Owen knew it.

He knew that Michelle was going through something and that she was down and out.

He knew that while she was still waiting for results on the bodies found in the truck, that she had the nagging feeling in the back of her head that something had gone horribly wrong.

He knew that he should be there for her instead of taking Zoe to dinner.

But she hadn’t made any effort to see him and she had turned down any previous attempts he had made to help her.

“I know.” He said softly, his hands wringing together in his lap. “And that’s why I’m giving her some space.”

“You’re being a coward.” Well damn son, right in the heartstrings.

“Thanks for the words of encouragement.” He knew TK was right, again.

“I’m just saying…” He shrugged his shoulders as he leaned his head back and sighed. “You seem to really like Michelle. Why are you risking throwing that away? And if you say that it’s for sex, I’m gonna hit you.”

“I’m not throwing anything with Michelle away.” He wasn’t was he?

“If it quacks like a duck…” How dare he use his saying against him.

“There’s no ducks involved here.” He spat back.

“No need to get so defensive.” TK held his hands up and closed his eyes for a second. “Just curious.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes and Owen let out a sigh before turning back toward TK.

“I’m gonna get going.” He reached out and patted the kid’s arm, offering him a soft smile in hopes of mending whatever wounds he may have created by snapping at him. “I’ll be back in the morning.”

TK nodded his head but said nothing more, slouching down in the bed with a huff.

And then Owen found himself leaving the room, bumping into Zoe as he closed the door behind him.

“So…” He could tell by the look in her eyes that something was up.

“So…” She pursed her lips together as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “Who’s Michelle?”

Fuck.

“She’s a co-worker.” And that wasn’t a lie, she was a co-worker, who also happened to kind of sorta be his girlfriend. “She’s an EMT.”

“Riiiight…” Zoe nodded her head as she continued to eye him suspiciously. “I’m gonna go.”

She gestured toward the door and Owen wanted to stop her.

But deep down he knew it was for the best.

He knew that trying to drown his feelings in her wasn’t going to work.

And no amount of sex, no matter how good, was going to get Michelle off his brain.

“Okay.” So instead he nodded his head as well and watched as she turned on her heels and headed toward the elevators.

This night was definitely not going as planned.


	2. Chapter 2

Michelle hadn’t wanted to freeze out Owen.

No, rather, she had wanted nothing more than to keep him as close as possible and let him help her through all of this.

But she had accidentally mentioned him to her mom and she had been weary of a new guy coming into the picture and it had just been easier to ignore all the texts and calls and act like everything was fine.

But then she had had a particularly bad night and she had heard through the rumor mill that TK was awake.

So she headed toward the hospital bright and early in hopes of finding Owen by his son’s side.

She arrived a little after 8:00am and was shocked to see Owen nowhere in sight.

Rather, TK was sitting up, eating what looked like toast and watching some old movie.

“Good morning sunshine.” She knocked on the door as she spoke and TK turned to her instantly.

“Good morning.” He offered her a soft smile and she saw nothing but Owen in him.

It did things to her heart that weren’t natural.

“Dad’s not here.” She guessed that TK could probably read her pretty well.

These damn Strand men seemed to be able to see right through her.

“I can see that.” She leaned against the door frame and watched as he tossed the crust from his bread onto the plate.

“He should be here soon.” He gestured for her to enter the room as he spoke. “He said last night that he’d be back around nine.”

She nodded her head as she stepped into the room, her eyes searching the area, for what, she didn’t know.

“How was he?” She didn’t know what possessed her to ask that question but once it was out there there was no taking it back.

“Good.” TK raised an eyebrow at her and she laughed.

“He seemed a little off when he stopped by the station yesterday.” She probably shouldn’t have told him that.

“He told me that you two hadn’t talked.” Well alright then Owen…

“I didn’t say I spoke to him…” She didn’t know why she was telling him this either.

Goddamn this Strand men making her all vulnerable and open and shit.

“Ah…” But TK seemed to understand where she was going. “He was a little, weird yesterday, bringing his date to the hospital and all. Very unlike him.”

She snapped her head up at the word ‘date’.

What date?

“Date?” Her one word question caused TK to freeze and then his eyes went wide as he let out a string of curses under his breath. “Your dad had a date last night?”

“No! I mean… yes. But…” He let out a huff as he let his face fall into his hands. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No, probably not.” She felt like she couldn’t breathe, like the air around her was disappearing and the walls were closing in.

Sure her and Owen weren’t really anything, but they were something.

Or at least she had thought they were.

“It wasn’t anything serious Michelle I promise.” He looked really guilty and she felt a little bad that he had put himself in this position. “They didn’t leave together!”

She guessed maybe that was supposed to make her feel better.

“Maybe I’ll just go…” She gestured toward the door but TK reached out and grabbed her hand in his.

“Don’t!” She could tell that he felt bad for letting the cat out of the bag and so she sighed and turned back toward him. “Look, dad, he’s going through something right now.”

She was well aware of that but she didn’t want to interrupt.

“The cancer and then everything with Billy.” If that damn man didn’t stop coming up in their conversations she was going to lose it. “And then he was so worried about you and now this… he’s…”

She nodded her head in understanding.

She knew that she had a lot going on with Iris, but Owen was going through ten times more.

“He really likes you Michelle.” Say what? “He’s never been good at the whole dating thing… two divorces and all…”

“Yeah.” She could tell that this wasn’t Owen’s forte and yet, she wanted to be a part of it.

She didn’t know what else to say though so she just nodded her head once more.

“Look, I just… I think you guys need to talk.” Who was he kidding?

“Yeah.” She bit her lip as she shuffled her feet. “I’m gonna go.”

She needed some air and she needed it now.

“I hope you’re not mad at me.” He looked so innocent and she was reminded of the look Owen gave her when he knew he was up to no good. “I think you guys are good together…”

She let out a soft snort as she laughed and shook her head.

“Goodbye TK.” And then she was pulling away from him and heading back out into the hallway.

She was shocked, but then again, not really, when she ran into Carlos halfway to the parking lot.

“Everything okay Chica?” He asked softly. “You look a little… lost.”

“Your boyfriend has a big mouth.” She didn’t mean to snap at him, but dammit she was all kinds of turned around right now.

“Why? What happened?” The fact that Carlos didn’t deny that TK was his boyfriend didn’t go unnoticed.

“He let it slip that his father was with a woman last night.” That came out all wrong and it made her sound like a jilted lover.

“Oh shit.” She couldn’t help but chuckle at the look on the cop’s face. “That’s not good.”

“Yeah.” She nodded her head and that’s when she realized that Carlos had no idea that she and Owen were even seeing each other.

“Wait a second…” He pointed at her and raised an eyebrow. “Why is that not a good thing?”

She closed her eyes as she let out a sigh.

Busted.

“It just… isn’t.” She was going to try and cover this up as best as possible. “The last thing we need is the Captain with some strange woman right?”

“Spill… now.” Well damn Carlos, nothing like being a little pushy.

“Spill what?” She could totally still deflect this conversation right?

“You’re seeing the Captain aren’t you?!” She was honestly shocked that he hadn’t picked up on that earlier.

Or that TK hadn’t already told him.

Or hell, she was surprised that Judd hadn’t spilled the beans to the entire team.

“We’re… something…” Or at least, they were.

“He’s your ‘someone’ isn’t he?” Well now she was screwed.

“Yes.” She whispered her reply as she hung her head.

“How long?” But Carlos was nothing but supportive and she knew that.

“A few weeks.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t really know to be honest. It started off really innocent.”

“But now?” He had a slightly warning tone and she knew that he was looking out for her.

“We’re… I don’t know…” And that wasn’t a lie because she didn’t know.

“Are you two sleeping together?” She didn’t know why everyone was so interested in whether she and Owen were having sex or not.

“No.” If he didn’t believe her she was going to be pissed. “We’re not sleeping together. We’re not even dating.”

And that was the cold hard truth because the man hadn’t even taken her to a proper dinner since all of this began.

“But you’re… something…?” She really didn’t know any other way to describe it really.

“Yes…” She closed her eyes as she tried to steady her breathing. “We haven’t talked in a while.”

“What’s a while? Because you two do work together.” Thanks for the heads up Carlos, I didn’t know that.

“10 days.” She hated that they hadn’t been together in so long.

“Well why the hell not?” Carlos’ face was all over the place and it was hard for her to tell what he was really thinking when he did that. “Wait… is this because of his date?”

“No!” Or was it? “I don’t think so.”

“You don’t think so?” Well dammit Carlos, now she wasn’t so sure.

“TK assures me that all is well and that they aren’t together…” She knew that TK wouldn’t lie to her but that didn’t stop her from being very, very confused about it all. “But he seemed just as confused as me so…”

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes as she spoke.

The majority of her prayed that TK knew what he was talking about.

But a small part of her knew that Owen would never use words like that.

Not in a million years.

“Well then you have nothing to be worried about right? TK wouldn’t lie to you.” Carlos reached out and patted her arm, offering her a smile as he walked past her. “Go talk to him.”

“Wait!” She called after him.

“Yes Michelle?” He offered her a soft smile as he stopped in his tracks.

“Thank you!” She couldn’t have asked for a better friend if she had tried.

“You’re very welcome.” He said softly, his hand extended as he offered her a soft wave. “Now go get your man!”

“Yeah yeah yeah!” She chuckled. “You go get yours!”

He let out a soft laugh before turning back around and heading back toward the hospital.

She let out a sigh before continuing to her car, climbing inside with a huff.

She wanted nothing more than to go to Owen but she knew that he was probably headed to the hospital and that she should probably go check on her mom.

So instead she had driven away and headed in the opposite direction of Owen’s house.

Her heart and mind going a million miles an hour as they wondered if she was doing the right thing.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *It is what it is.

Owen had never been so glad to have TK home in his entire life.

In fact, he was probably never going to let him leave the house ever again.

Not if he kept getting himself in trouble.

But the one disadvantage to having him home was that he wanted to talk.

And all of a sudden too.

The past few months he hadn’t been as open with Owen as normal.

But for some reason, the past few days, the kid hadn’t been able to shut up.

And that’s how Owen found him on Sunday morning, sitting at the island with a cup of coffee, running his mouth to someone on the phone.

His first guess was that it had to be Carlos so he had minded his own business as he grabbed a water from the fridge and he honestly did his best not to eavesdrop.

But then TK mentioned Michelle and he turned around ever so slowly and raised an eyebrow in his direction.

“Um… I gotta go…” He guessed maybe they had something to talk about.

Perhaps Carlos knew something he didn’t.

Which honestly wouldn’t surprise him at this point.

Going twelve days without talking to the woman was killing him inside.

“What’s up with Captain Blake?” He wasn’t worried, nope, not at all.

“Michelle… she’s fine…” TK hung up the phone and gave him a look that told him that the boy knew he was full of crap. “Carlos said she’s feeling some things in regards to you having a date the other night.”

A date? He had a date?

“Remember, you brought Zoe by the hospital…” He wasn’t the one who was shot so why his brain had trouble remembering that little tidbit he didn’t know. “Not your wisest move dad.”

“Wait.” He leaned forward against the counter, his hands clasping together as he raised an eyebrow. “How did she know about Zoe? I certainly didn’t tell her.”

He was curious as to which one of them ratted him out.

And if it was Carlos, why in the hell TK ratted him out to him.

“I may have… accidentally… mentioned that Zoe was with you… at the hospital…” TK was biting his lip as he tried to get the words out and Owen rolled his eyes.

Way to go junior!

“Well thanks son.” He didn’t even want to know how that went over.

“I assured her that nothing happened!” He doubted that was enough. “I told her that you didn’t leave together!”

He may not have known Michelle long, but he knew enough to know that this would have hit her hard.

She had told him flat out that she didn’t share.

And he had told her that she didn’t have too because he was hers.

It certainly wasn’t looking like that right now was it?

“Why would you say something to her about Zoe?” He wasn’t exactly mad, maybe perturbed was a better word.

He was sure that TK hadn’t meant any harm by it.

Hell, he guessed that’s maybe what he deserved for not being honest with him about his relationship with either woman.

“It slipped out.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I was worried about you. When she came looking for you I told her that you were kinda in a funky place and that you had a date with you which weirded me out.”

“Fuck.” He ran a hand through his hair as he let out a sigh. “How did she react?”

He could only imagine she was probably pretty upset.

“She tried to play it cool.” Which was totally a Michelle move. “But I could tell she was upset. I tried to salvage it, I swear.”

“I know.” He knew that TK hadn’t meant any harm and he just hoped that this was something he could easily fix with a nice night out and maybe another backseat make-out session.

“Carlos tried to reassure her that I wouldn’t lie to her, so clearly it meant nothing.” He wasn’t sure what he meant by that but he guessed maybe that was a good sign.

“So I guess you told Carlos about us then?” He wondered how that had gone down between Michelle and the cop.

“Actually… Michelle did.” Well that wasn’t what he was expecting.

Although, to be honest, he was surprised that everybody in town didn’t already know considering that Judd and his loud mouth had caught them making out on the couch two weeks ago.

“Carlos isn’t gonna kick my ass is he?” That was the last thing he needed.

“No. You’re good dad.” TK let out a chuckle and then shook his head. “Could you imagine explaining that to people though?”

“My son’s boyfriend beat me up because I broke his best-friend’s heart?” He grimaced as he shook his head. “That doesn’t have a very good ring to it at all.”

“It would make one hell of an episode of Jerry Springer though.” He reached across the island and playfully shoved the boy’s arm. “Could you imagine mom’s face?”

“Yeah… let’s not mention any of this to your mother!” The last thing he needed was Sarah getting involved in his, or TK’s, dating life.

“She knows about you and Michelle.” TK pointed at him before standing up and leaning back against the counter behind him. “She grilled me for almost an hour before she left yesterday.”

“And what did you tell her?” He was curious because TK honestly knew no more about their relationship than he did.

“Um… that you work together…” He nodded his head as he smirked a little. “She wanted to know if you two were having sex. I told her I’d rather not know the answer to that question so I wasn’t going to ask.”

“We’re not by the way!” He didn’t know why he felt the need to declare that so loudly.

It wasn’t a secret.

And it certainly wasn’t any of TK’s business.

“Well I guess that’s good to know…” He shrugged a little as he made a face. “Mom brought up something else though…”

He didn’t know if he wanted to know what it was that Sarah pretended to be concerned about.

“What now TK?” He could handle TK’s questions and weird looks.

Hell, he could handle them from the team.

But Sarah, well Sarah knew just how to hit him where it hurt.

“She’s a lot younger than you…” He shrugged as he spoke and he wondered if the issue bothered TK too, or just his mom. “I mean, come on, she’s great and all, but… how much of an age difference is there? Really?”

“Age is nothing more than a number young man.” But now that he thought about it he hadn’t even bothered to pay attention to the age difference.

It didn’t matter to him.

His second wife had been 7 years younger than him and things had been great there.

Until she cheated on him with her yoga instructor.

Who was 6 years younger than her.

“I’m just curious.” He completely understood where he was coming from but all he could do was shrug.

“Are you gonna tell me I have to stop seeing her?” Not that he would listen.

“Hey, you don’t give a shit that I’m dating a guy, so why should I give a shit if you’re dating someone who’s ten years younger than you?” Wait, was she really that much younger than him.

“You really think it’s ten years?” He didn’t know why this bothered him so much.

“Oh gosh, you’re gonna obsess about this now aren’t you?” TK knew him all to well. “Look, I don’t know what the exact number is but my guess is 10.”

Fuck.

“It doesn’t matter dad. Who cares?” He guessed no one did really.

As long as TK didn’t give a shit and Carlos wasn’t going to kick his ass it didn’t really matter to him.

The others opinions didn’t matter to him and frankly, as long as Judd wasn’t bothered by it, he knew no one else would care.

“Yeah I guess it doesn’t matter does it?” Fuck he was totally going to obsess over this.

He knew he shouldn’t worry about it.

He liked Michelle and he was pretty certain that she liked him.

It wasn’t like it was back in the day either.

5 years. 10 years. Who cares?

Right?

“Dad...” The sound of TK’s voice shook him from his thoughts and he snapped his head up.

“What?” He knew he was being silly but that part of him that was still so focused on the outward appearance of things was getting caught up in how this must look to everyone around them.

“It’s not a big deal.” His son’s voice was soft and he shook his head softly as he tried to clear his head. “Stop thinking about it.”

“Okay.” It wouldn’t be that simple and they both knew it but he could try to hide it right?

“Have you talked to her today?” Well damn son, way to change the subject.

“No.” He hated that he hadn’t been able to get a hold of her.

He had tried texting her last night after he left the hospital.

And he tried calling her this morning.

But neither time had she answered him back.

He knew that there was nothing to worry about and that she was probably just laying low.

But that didn’t change the fact that he missed her.

That and he wanted to set things right with her himself.

“Well go find her.” And with that TK started walking out of the room. “And don’t tell her about the age thing, ladies don’t like that.”

Owen couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle as he watched TK head upstairs.

He hoped he could get Michelle to talk to him again, and soon.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I have this really crazy headcanon that Michelle and Judd have been besties since they were kids, so here’s me using that.  
> **This is probably one of my favorite pieces I’ve ever written, I hope you guys like it as much as me.

Michelle had very clearly gotten Owen’s texts the last few days.

And she had very clearly gotten his phone calls as well.

And yet, she had chosen, against her better judgment, to ignore them all.

So when she walked into the firehouse and saw him sitting in his office she had been shocked.

She had been even more shocked when she found herself instantly turning around and hightailing it out the door.

They were both responsible adults who clearly needed to work together even when they weren’t talking.

And yet she felt like she was back in high school again and avoiding her crush during lunch.

“Woah there missy!” Judd’s voice broke her from her thoughts and his hands grabbing her arms stopped her in her tracks. “We don’t have time for anymore workplace injuries ya know?”

And that’s when she noticed that he had stopped her just as she was about to run face first into a ladder truck.

That sure would have been a fun story to tell.

“Oh jeez. Sorry Judd.” She stepped back a few steps but then took off again, this time avoiding the truck at all costs.

“Hey Michelle!” She could hear his footsteps behind her and she prayed that he hadn’t shouted her name loud enough for Owen to hear. “Wait up!”

She tried to pick up her pace and get away from him quickly as possible but unfortunately for her, Judd was quicker.

“What do you want Judson Cole?!” She felt a sense of power when she used his full name and she knew it bugged him. 

“I don’t know Michelle Ruth,” He was good, real good, “where are you going to in such a hurry?”

She kept walking though, intent on getting him as far from the firehouse as possible before she spoke.

She didn’t need the Captain to realize she was there and come looking for her.

She certainly wasn’t in the mood to talk to him right now.

“Would you slow down?” Was he really that out of shape that he couldn’t handle chasing her through the street a little.

“No!” She shouted over her shoulder at him and she was all of a sudden taken back to him trying to chase her down on the playground in elementary school because she wouldn’t share her chocolate bar with him.

“I’m not playing Michelle!” Yep, déjà vu for sure. “Slow down.”

“Old man can’t keep up?!” She finally slowed down and turned around when she neared her Jeep and she couldn’t help but smile when he made a face at her.

“I just woke up.” He slowed to a stop in front of her and offered her a look that said he was up to no good. “I’m not prepared to run just yet.”

“I’ll remember that next time.” She would definitely tease him about it later if nothing else.

“What’s your deal anyway?” He leaned against the hood of the Jeep and she let out a sigh. “You tore out of there like a bat out of hell when you saw Cap upstairs?”

She closed her eyes briefly before reopening them and glaring at him.

Maybe she could scare him away.

“Oh come on Chelle, don’t give me that damn look.” Well if he was going to pull out the nicknames than this was going to get real personal, real quick. “That’s not like you. What’s up? You two fight or something?”

After he had caught them making out on the couch two weeks ago he had definitely teased her about it.

But then he had tried to get her to talk and she had just blown him off.

Perhaps if she had talked to him then he wouldn’t have had to just chase her down.

“We’re just…” She let out a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest. “We’re not talking right now.”

“Whhhy?” He dragged out the question and she rolled her eyes.

“He took a fucking date to the hospital with him? A date?! That wasn’t me?! To the hospital!!” She knew she sounded ridiculous but dammit it was really bothering her.

And she would never tell Carlos just how much it was bothering her because he would make her talk about her feelings and get all in her psyche and shit.

“Wait a second? I thought you two were dating?” So apparently now Judd was just as confused as she was about things.

“No. We weren’t, dating… we were…” She didn’t know how to finish that sentence so she just let it be.

“Sleeping together?” If Judd only knew.

“No.” She felt kind of proud being able to say that though.

“No?!” He pushed himself off the Jeep and rubbed his eyes with his hand before shaking his head. “Are you sure? Because you two were pretty damn into each other when I caught y’all making out like teenagers the other day.”

“And that’s as far as it has gone thank you very much.” The last thing she wanted was for others to get the wrong impression.

She didn’t care what Judd thought, she could handle him.

And she didn’t care what Carlos thought because she knew that TK would set him right.

But the others, well, they would surely tease them both endlessly.

“So…?” He nodded his head as he bit his lip and she knew he was trying to put the pieces together. “Not sleeping together? Not dating? What the hell are you two doing then?”

A good old southern boy like Judd would probably kick Owen’s ass knowing that he hadn’t taken her out on a date yet.

“We’re…” She didn’t want to say they were having a good time because that normally meant sex was involved. “I don’t know Judd.”

She let out a huff as she hung her head, her hands going to run through her hair as she closed her eyes.

This really shouldn’t be bothering her this much.

“I haven’t seen you this torn up since Andrew Dickens dumped you the night of senior prom.” Did he really have to bring that up? “For a guy you aren’t dating, you’re pretty hung up on him.”

“I really like him okay? Leave me alone.” She felt sixteen again and she hated it.

Defending herself to Judd back then hadn’t been fun and it sure as hell wasn’t fun now.

“Well I’ll be damned Michelle…” He let out a chuckle and she snapped her head up as she set her eyes in a glare. “You finally gone and done it haven’t ya?”

“Gone and done what Judson?” She rolled her eyes as she threw the door to the Jeep open, putting a barrier between them.

Like that was going to protect her from his words.

“You’ve finally fallen in love.” Oh she was going to kill him for that.

“You take that back right now!” She darted around the door and started flinging her arms at him like a mad woman. “Right now Judd! Take that back.”

They weren’t nine anymore and fighting over the last piece of birthday cake.

Hitting him was surely less effective now than it had been back then.

“Michelle…” He grabbed her hands gently and she let out a huff as she blew her bangs out of her eyes. “Come on…”

“If you tell anyone about this conversation I will murder you in your sleep.” She huffed out.

“You like Grace too much to do that.” Dammit he was right.

She had grown up with Grace just like she had grown up with him and she would protect her husband until the day she died.

“Fine. Then I’ll like, break your arm or something.” That would surely do it.

“And you don’t think that Cap would find that suspicious?” She doubted Owen would even bat an eyelash if she told him why.

“I’m pretty sure that if you exposed us, he’d break the other one.” She snapped.

“So there is still an ‘us’ in this whole scenario.” Well dammit she’d gone and done it for sure. “You’re clearly still into him. Why are you avoiding him?”

“Did you miss the part where I said he took another woman to the hospital?” She pulled her hands from his and moved back to the driver’s side of the Jeep, pulling herself into the seat with a huff. “Another woman that he clearly had every intention of having sex with. He hasn’t even had sex with me and he was going to sleep with this other woman who he hardly even knows.”

She slammed the door shut out of anger and watched as he pouted at her from the other side of the glass.

“Okay, first of all,” Judd moved around to the passenger’s side of the Jeep and climbed in, his body turning toward hers, “don’t shut me out, literally or figuratively. Second of all, how do you know that he was going to have sex with her?”

“Because that’s what they do.” She flailed her hands around and watched out of the corner of her eye as Judd laughed. “They’re… fuck buddies… is that the term?”

“Fu… I… Jesus Michelle, you’ve officially lost it.” She knew that he knew damn well what she was talking about even if he wouldn’t come out a say it. “So are you two not having sex because one of you chose to not have sex? Or are you just being your silly self and not letting your walls down?”

“Hush it!” She pointed a finger at him as she let her head fall back against the headrest. “You know I don’t kiss and tell.”

“Well obviously you don’t do a whole hell of a lot of other things either…” The teasing nature of their relationship really bugged her at times. 

“We’re not having sex because I’m not willing to throw whatever it is that we have away just for a good time.” There, it was out there for the world to know.

Well, for Judd to know.

And right now, he was all that mattered.

“Okay. So, being your normal self.” Judd had been one of the few people who hadn’t given her a hard time when she wouldn’t put out just for the sake of doing it.

In fact, he was probably the only person from her childhood, save for Iris and Grace, who hadn’t stopped talking to her after Andrew had dumped her because she wouldn’t have sex with him at senior prom.

And even Iris had given her a hard time about it.

But she wasn’t that girl.

She never had been and she wasn’t going to start now.

“You know me Judd, probably better than anyone.” He nodded his head with a big a goofy smile and she couldn’t help but chuckle. “You know I’m not gonna just throw myself at him like that. Despite how good looking he is.”

“He is rather handsome isn’t he?” She rolled her eyes at his comment before setting her gaze at the firehouse. “So you’re protecting yourself? Nothing wrong with that.”

“But he went to another woman?” She couldn’t get that out of her head and she didn’t know if she would ever be able to. “He went to another woman who he knows has no problem screwing him! What do I say to that?”

“Well if he didn’t actually have sex with her than I’d just hit him a few times and tell him he’s an idiot.” She could hear the humor in his voice and she growled under her breath. “I mean, come on Michelle, he’s not stupid. He’s clearly into you. And if he didn’t sleep with her, there’s gotta be a reason for that right?”

“Is there?” She really wasn’t sure at this point. “Do you really think he changed his mind?”

“Either way, he didn’t do it.” Judd offered her a soft yet pointed look and she sighed. “Have you tried talking to him?”

“No.” Couldn’t he see that she was clearly avoiding him?

“Well… perhaps you should try having an adult conversation with the man.” He said softly.

“Hey Judd,” She gave him a soft look as she smiled, “your Grace is showing.”

“Why thank you ma'am.” He tipped his head toward her and smile. “But I'm being serious. You two should talk.”

“Yeah…” She got ready to say more when her phone rang and she let out a sigh.

It was someone from the homeless camp and she knew she needed to go now.

“I've gotta…” She pointed at the phone and then shot him a look and he nodded.

“Be safe out there ya hear?” His question was soft as he removed himself from the vehicle. “Don't do anything stupid!”

“I won't.” She offered him a smile as she turned the Jeep on and put the vehicle in drive. “Tell Owen I'll call him tonight.”

“Ha! I'm gonna hold you to that.” He gave her a gentle wave and then he was stepping away as she drove off.

She knew that Judd was right and that she needed to talk to Owen.

But dammit it was hard to make her own thoughts make sense, much less her words.


	5. Chapter 5

Owen honestly hadn't thought much of Michelle's radio silence the past few hours.

Especially not after he had heard Judd call out her name earlier.

He figured she was busy and that she had probably gotten a call so had continued on with his day like normal.

Or at least as normal as he could given his talk with TK earlier.

He was worried about the kid, worried that he wouldn't return to the station, worried that he might return to New York at any given moment.

He didn't know what he was going through but dammit did he want to help him.

He had been lost in his thoughts when the team had appeared at his door.

And then they were asking the same questions about TK that he had been trying to answer for days.

“Captain Strand.” He lifted his head at the sound of Tim’s voice and the concerned look on his face made his heart stop. “Have you heard from Captain Blake today?”

“No…” He started to panic and judging by the look on Judd’s face, he wasn't alone. “Is everything okay?”

“She's not answering her phone or her work pager.” He could tell the man was trying not to let onto anything but he knew something was amiss. “Her Jeep is still here but her volunteer van is gone.”

He grabbed his phone and punched her number just as soon as the power started to go haywire.

And from there everything went to shit.

\--

He had spent the day running around like a mad man and yet he had been unable to get Michelle out of the back of his mind.

He worried about her constantly, even though there a hundred other things to worry about.

And when he had finally returned to the firehouse and gotten TK settled with the others he had been more than relieved to look upstairs and see her staring back at him.

He had offered her a wave before dropping his head back down, his eyes meeting with Judd’s from across the station.

“Go.” The other man mouthed, his head tilting in the direction of the woman. “Now.”

Owen simply nodded his head before turning toward the stairs, taking them two at a time as he tried to get to her as fast as he could.

“Hey you.” She lifted her body away from the railing and turned toward him as he spoke.

And then the next thing he knew she was walking toward him.

He expected her to step into him, to maybe even kiss him, but instead she just stopped in front of him and stared him down.

“Everything okay?” He asked softly.

“I found Iris.” The words came out of nowhere and he instantly felt his heart start to race. “She’s alive.”

He blinked a few times as his brain tried to comprehend the words that had just left her mouth.

Alive? Iris? There was no way.

“Where?” That was not the question he had intended to ask.

“She’s in a homeless camp.” She whispered, her eyes softening as she took a few steps back and collapsed onto the couch behind them. “She’s… she’s been right there in front of me this whole time.”

He took a deep breath before moving to sit down on the table across from her.

“She’s been right there.” He could see the tears brimming and the way she choked on her words was making his heart hurt. “For three years Owen. Right there in front of me.”

“But you found her, that’s what matters.” He couldn’t think of what else to say and he felt like an idiot.

He was supposed to be offering her some comfort he was sure.

But he couldn’t find words that made any sense right now.

“I…” She closed her eyes as she fell back against the seat with a huff. “I should have known.”

“You did know, remember?” He reached out and dared to take her hand, curious as to whether or not she would shy away from his affection in such a public space. “You told me you knew she couldn’t be dead. That you didn’t feel it. You were right Michelle.”

She lifted her head up and let out a soft sob, her head turning to the side as she tried to keep her eyes from locking with his.

And that’s when he noticed it, the cut on her head and the stitches holding it together.

“What the hell happened to your head?” He reached out with his right hand to steady her head in place, his left hand reaching up to push her hair back so he could get a better look.

“I uh…” He ran his thumb along the wound and she winced slightly.

“Sorry.” He leaned forward a little, his heart aching at the thought of her being hurt by someone. “When did this happen?”

“Earlier. At the homeless camp.” He gently let go of her face and she turned to face him, her eyes softening as she swallowed. “I was attacked.”

“Attacked?!” That had come out a lot louder than he had planned and he hoped that no one came racing to see what was going on. “By who? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” She barely got the words out before he noticed her hands shaking and he breathing slowing down.

“Fine my ass.” He whispered, his hands reaching out to settle on her thighs. “I’m taking you home.”

“No!” He didn’t know why she was so aggressive with her refusal but he could see the distant look in her eyes and he knew that he had lost her to whatever demon was currently plaguing her.

“Okay.” He held his hands up slowly, knowing that pushing was only going to make things worse. “Can I take you to your mom’s? So you're not alone.”

“I'm fine.” She snapped, her body recoiling away from him and into the couch.

He let out a sigh as he stood, stepping away from her and giving her the space she so desperately wanted.

“I'm gonna walk away…” He took a deep breath and turned toward her with a sigh. “If you need me, I'll be in my office. Or around here somewhere. But I'll be here.”

He hoped that she understood that he was speaking more metaphorically than anything else.

He hoped that she knew that he meant that he was here for her no matter what.

No matter where.

She didn't respond though, instead she nodded her head softly before wrapping her arms around herself and settling back against the cushions some more.

He offered her a soft smile before stepping into his office, the door closing quietly behind him.

He plopped down in the chair and watched her for a minute, her eyes closing slowly as she seemed to relax a little.

He liked to think that she felt better knowing that he was just a few feet away.

But he figured it was more the exhaustion of the day wearing on her.


	6. Chapter 6

Michelle hadn’t expected Owen to come to her like he had.

She hadn’t expected his soft words and gentle touches.

But he had been by her side the second he realized that she was around.

And something about his presence had haunted her.

She wasn’t used to being supported like that.

To being, loved, like that.

And when he had confronted her about the head injury she had felt everything inside of her freeze up.

She was used to being on the receiving end of an angry blow.

But she certainly wasn’t expecting to be on the receiving end of a gentle caress and a soft question.

She had told him she had been attacked and the fire in his eyes had made her heart race.

She knew that he would do anything to protect her, that he would hunt down the guy himself and make him pay.

But she wasn’t used to that.

So instead she had pushed him away and shut him out and acted like it was nothing.

But it wasn’t nothing.

In fact, it was everything.

Her heart hadn’t stopped aching for him since.

—

She had left the firehouse a few minutes after he retreated to his office.

His phone had rung and he had turned his attention away from her and she saw it as the perfect opportunity to bolt.

She didn’t know where she was going but she found herself climbing into her Jeep and taking off.

The next thing she knew she was at the homeless camp, standing in front of Iris’ tent, and that had been that.

—

She had stayed with her sister for a few hours, watching the lights overhead as they shared a simple meal.

They hadn’t talked much but that had been okay with her.

She just wanted to be close to her, to know that she was real and that she hadn’t lost her.

After the younger woman had turned in for the night she had found herself driving back toward the firehouse, for what reason, she wasn’t sure.

But TK had stopped her at the door and she had felt the fight leave her body when he opened his mouth.

“Talk to him Michelle.” She shook her head and then she felt the presence of another person, her eyes shifting upward as Carlos appeared at the young man’s side.

“Michelle…” They were ganging up on her and she didn’t like it. “You know you need too.”

“I need to do a lot of things.” She huffed, her arms crossing over her chest as she shifted her eyes from TK to Carlos and back. “Talking to Owen Strand is not one of them.”

“I beg to differ Chica.” Carlos reached out and grabbed her arms gently, his eyes locking with hers as he tried to read her.

She wanted to curse him but she knew that he was just trying to help.

“You know, this isn’t fair.” She dropped her arms with a sigh. “You two can’t gang up on people like this. You’re too adorable for me to say ‘no’ too.”

TK let out a chuckle as Carlos smiled at her.

And then she heard footsteps behind her, followed by a soft voice that made her heart flutter.

“How do you think I feel?” She turned ever so slightly, Carlos’ hands falling from her arms as she let her eyes settle on Owen’s. “They didn’t cut me an ounce of slack.”

She noticed Buttercup at his side, the dog’s tail wagging as it realized who was behind her.

“Come on Buttercup.” TK reached out for the dog’s leash, taking it despite Owen’s reluctance. “Mom and dad need to have a nice long chat.”

Owen rolled his eyes as he watched the two vanish inside, Carlos following behind them with a chuckle.

“Your son is cramping my style.” She whispered, her head falling forward as she did her best to avoid his gaze.

“Yeah well, your best-friend is cramping mine.” He stepped into her personal space, his hand reaching out to grip hers as he stopped in front of her.

“I’m sorry for earlier.” She mumbled out.

“It’s okay.” She could sense that he wasn’t mad and when she brought her head up she was shocked to see a softness in his eyes. “I get it. You were a little overwhelmed by it all.”

“More than a little.” She had a hard time admitting it but he gripped her hand tightly in his as he leaned forward, his forehead falling to hers in the softest of gestures.

“Either way, I get it.” She knew then that he understood her desire to keep some space between them.

They stayed that way for a minute, their hands still tangled together, their foreheads pressed against each other, their breathing soft and even.

She wanted to kiss him but she knew it wasn’t the time, nor the place, so she settled for stepping closer to him, her free arm going to wrap around his waist as she let out a soft sigh.

He didn’t say anything, instead he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his hand settling on the back of her head gently as he pressed his lips to her ear.

“Let’s get you home.” He whispered against her hair.

She nodded her head softly before stepping back, allowing him to lead her to his Jeep parked only a few feet away.

She could barely make out Carlos and TK, with Buttercup between them, smiling down at them from the loft.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *These two, that is all.

Owen had been shocked by Michelle’s public display of affection at the firehouse.

In fact, he had expected her to completely run away from him.

But instead she had stepped into his arms and been more than willing to seek comfort in him and it had been nice.

He had driven her back to her place in silence, the only noise that of the radio playing softly in the background.

When they had arrived he had hesitated, wondering if she wanted him to come in, but then she was reaching for his hand and her eyes were soft and lonely, and he understood her need for him right then and there.

So he had turned the engine of the car off and stepped out, making his way toward her before escorting her to the front door.

She had barely let it shut behind them before her lips slammed against his and her hands were in his hair before he could wrap his head around what was happening.

“Woah.” He pulled back slightly, his hands settling on her hips as he offered her a soft smile. “Easy girl.”

She let out a sigh before shaking her head, her hands dragging his lips back down to hers.

This whole zero to sixty thing was more than he could handle.

He loosened his grip on her hips as he pulled from the kiss, his body doing it’s best to put some space between them as he eyed her curiously.

“What are you doing?” Not that he minded kissing her, because damn did he enjoy that part.

But this was so incredibly unlike her and he knew that something was going on that was making her react in such an unusual way.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” She moved to start undoing the buttons of her shirt and he reached out and grabbed her hands, stopping her motion before she could get more than one button undone.

“Stop Michelle.” He growled out his response as she tried to move in for another kiss and he could tell that his words had hurt her. “We should talk about this.”

“I thought this was what you wanted.” She pushed herself away from him with a groan, her hands going to run through her hair as she paced back and forth. “It’s why you were with Zoe isn’t it? Sex? That’s what you want right?”

“Woah woah woah! Stop. Stop right there.” He had hoped that she wouldn’t bring Zoe up but he knew he wasn’t that lucky. “Let’s leave her out of this.”

“Why? Why should we?” She snapped, her eyes darkening as she turned toward him.

He could see she was angry, her body shaking as she took a step forward.

“You called her up! You clearly wanted her.” He shook his head as he closed his eyes.

This wasn’t how this was supposed to go.

“No I didn’t.” He whispered his response but he didn’t think she had heard him. “I didn’t call her. She called me.”

He watched as she froze in her spot, her eyes locking with his as she stared him down.

“She called me because she wanted to hook up.” He took a deep breath as he blinked, his mind going a hundred miles an hour as he tried to make the words he wanted to say come out right. “We were gonna go to dinner. Then we were gonna, well, I would assume we were gonna hook up.”

She rolled her eyes in disgust as she moved into the kitchen, her hands gripping the counter as she took a deep breath.

She turned back toward him but he stayed put.

If distance was what she needed then he was going to give it to her.

“I don’t know why I took her to the hospital Michelle, I really don’t.” It had been a spur of the moment response, a stupid one at that, but it hadn’t meant a thing. “Then TK woke up and all of a sudden the idea of being with her went out the window.”

“Because you were worried about TK.” He shook his head, stepping forward a few steps as he tried to judge what was a safe distance to keep.

“Because TK asked me what the hell was wrong with me and it sank in.” Not that he couldn’t have come to the conclusion himself, but alas, the boy had called him out on his shit and it had worked. “He made me realize what an idiot I was.”

“Well if the shoe fits…” He could sense the slight touch of humor in her words and he offered her a smile.

“I didn’t want Zoe.” He shook his head softly as he stepped forward a few more steps. “I still don’t.”

“Why don’t I believe you?” Her question was soft and full of all the heartbreak he had been afraid of.

“I can’t make you believe me.” He stopped directly in front of her this time, his hand daring to reach out for her. “You have to do that on your own, because you want too, not because I force you too.”

She let out a sigh as she dropped her arms to her sides.

“Why did you agree to go out with her?” She asked softly, her eyes locking with his as he spoke. “If you knew that it would end in sex, why did you agree to it?”

“Because I thought that I could hide.” He hoped that made sense to her because right now not much of what he was saying was making sense to him. “I wanted to feel something I guess. I thought that I could get what I needed from her.”

“You were gonna use her?” The way she said it made it sound dirty and underhanded and he hated it.

“Well when you put it that way…” He reached for her once again, this time a soft smile coming to his lips when she took one hand in his.

“Is this because I wouldn’t have sex with you?” He didn’t know where that question came from or why she asked it but he let out a soft huff at the disappointment in her eyes.

“You know that this was never about sex Michelle.” He tugged her to him then, his other hand going out to cup her cheek softly. “Whatever your reasons for wanting to wait are, I respect them and you know it.”

“She was a means to an end?” It sounded a little less dirty when she put it that way, but still just as underhanded.

“Essentially.” She was making him sound like a good old fashioned whore at this point and he was feeling a little self conscious about his decision making. “It was nothing. Nothing at all.”

He tried to reiterate the ‘nothing’ part of his sentence, hoping that she understood.

Zoe wasn’t what he wanted, not even close.

“You won’t call her again?” He shook his head as he let out a breath.

“As long as you don’t push me away like that.” He knew it was selfish to ask that of her, but they couldn’t get through this if she kept him at arm’s length all the time. “You have to learn to let me in sometimes Michelle, even when it’s hard.”

She nodded her head before dropping his hand, her arms going to circle around his waist as she dropped her head to his chest.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, his right hand moving to cradle her head as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

“I know this is new for you, hell, it’s new for me too.” And that was an understatement if there ever was one. “But I don’t wanna throw this away before we even really get to try it.”

She pulled back slightly, her eyes meeting his as she reached up with one hand to trail her fingers along his cheek.

She didn’t say anything though, instead she leaned in and kissed him softly, her fingers staying put even after she pulled back.

And then she was tucking herself back into his arms, her body almost collapsing against his as the weight of the day finally sank in.

He pressed another kiss to her hair before pulling back, his hands settling on her shoulders as he let out a soft sigh.

“Let’s get you to bed.” She nodded her head in response and when he reached down to take her hand she squeezed his fingers tightly.

“Stay with me?” He turned back toward her with a raised eyebrow and he swallowed.

He didn’t know what the right response to her question was, not after everything they had been through today.

“I think maybe…” He took a deep breath as he eyed her softly, “Maybe that’s not the best idea right now.”

She shook her head as tears came to her eyes and he couldn’t help but tug her back to him, his arm encircling her shoulders softly.

“I just don’t wanna be alone.” She whispered through an earth shattering sob and he instantly felt every particle of his being ignite.

The kiss earlier, the slamming against the door frame, the excessiveness of it all…

It finally clicked and he felt the wind knocked out of him.

She was spiraling, dangerously, and he was having flashbacks to TK laying on the floor of their apartment at seventeen gasping for air after he had found out his life was pretty much over.

The kid had worked too hard to let an injury destroy his future, and yet, there he was, watching everything go down the drain after the doctors told him he’d never play baseball again.

“I’m not leaving.” He tucked her as close to him as he could, his arms wrapping her up tightly as she sobbed into his shoulder, her hands clutching the back of his t-shirt as he tried to comfort her.

They stayed that way for a while, thirty minutes if Owen had to guess, and he could feel her body going limp in his arms.

“Let’s get you to bed.” He whispered as he pulled back slightly, letting his forehead fall against hers softly. “I’ll stay if you want, but nothing’s happening, okay?”

She nodded her head as she pulled from him, her hand gripping his tightly as she lead the way to her room.

She disappeared back into the hall for a minute, the toilet flushing and the sink running before she reappeared in the doorway.

“You don’t have anything to sleep in.” Her voice was barely a whisper but he just smiled at her softly.

“If you promise to behave I’ll at least kick the jeans off.” He offered her a wink and she chuckled before stepping into the room fully.

She was dressed in a t-shirt only, his t-shirt he might add, and when she climbed into bed she knew exactly what she was doing by showing off a little too much thigh in his direction.

“Behave.” He growled out, his hands undoing the buckle of his jeans before he pushed them to the ground.

She batted her eyelashes at him as she smiled from under the covers, her hands tugging the material all the way up to her chin.

He made his way into the bathroom and then returned to the bedroom as soon as he was done, his eyes doing a sweep of the space as he shut the door behind him.

Michelle had curled onto her side, her back toward the door, her chest rising and falling softly.

He couldn’t help but smile as he stepped around to the other side of the bed, climbing under the covers beside her.

She didn’t open her eyes but she did smile at him as she reached out for him blindly.

“I’m here.” He whispered, his arms going out to pull her against his chest with a soft sigh. “Try and sleep.”

She nodded her head softly, her hands tangling themselves up in his shirt as another round of tears dared to enter her eyes.

“Shhh…” He rubbed her back softly, his legs tangling with hers as he tried to pull her as close as possible. “Try and sleep Michelle, that’s all you need to worry about right now okay? No work, no family, nothing. Just sleep.”

“I…” He knew that she was going to continue to spiral if he didn’t intercept her quick and the last thing he wanted was to have to call an ambulance to come and take her to the hospital for oxygen.

“Stop.” He pulled back and moved so they were eye to eye. “Stop. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes. And try and sleep.”

She took the deep breath he asked for, her body relaxing as he continued to rub her back softly.

She wouldn’t close her eyes though, her dark brown orbs staring back at him as she let her hand move to his face.

He realized then that she was trying to ground herself, her fingers running over the slight stubble along his cheek as she counted softly to herself.

He found himself counting with her, just like he had done with TK many a time.

She made it to twenty five before she let out a soft, shuddering breath, her hand stilling against his cheek as she swallowed.

“You’ve done this before?” She whispered her question with a hint of shock and he nodded his head as he reached out and pushed her hair behind her ear.

“TK has horrible anxiety.” He whispered back. “He’s done better the past few years, but this is definitely a road I’m familiar with.”

“Iris always said it made me weak.” He finally understood her desire to push him away when things got tough.

She didn’t want him to see her as anything more than a strong, determined woman.

“It doesn’t make you weak.” He leaned in then, pressing the softest of kisses to her nose. “Makes you anything but.”

He knew that TK had always felt like it made him a smaller person because he wasn’t able to handle his own emotions sometimes.

He had always done his best to remind the boy that he was stronger than anyone for dealing with the monsters in his head first.

“I’m tired.” She barely got the words out and he nodded his head as he tucked her against his chest, her head fitting perfectly under his chin as he rubbed her back softly.

“Try and sleep babe.” He pressed a soft kiss to her hair as he felt her body relax against his, her hands settling softly against his chest.

And then her breathing was evening out and her body was going still and he knew that she had finally fallen asleep.

So he let his hands relax against her shirt, his eyes falling closed as he let his body succumb to the exhaustion he had been feeling all night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Here’s the last chapter, sorry it’s so short.

Michelle woke up sometime in the middle of the night, her body instantly going into panic mode when she realized that she wasn’t alone in the bed.

Had she really brought some strange man home?

Had she really let him crawl into bed with her?

But then she felt a gentle hand press against her lower back and a soft whisper that told her, while she wasn’t alone, she most certainly wasn’t with a stranger.

“You okay?” Owen’s voice was barely audible in the dark of night but she heard it nonetheless.

“Yeah.” She whispered back, lifting her head to try and make out his face. “Just confused is all.”

He let out a soft chuckle as he moved his hand to her head, brushing her hair back softly before pressing a kiss to her temple.

“It’s okay.” She felt herself relax at his words and she sighed softly as she felt herself snuggling back into his side. “It’s still night, try and go back to sleep.”

She nodded her head in response but she couldn’t get her brain to turn off.

She didn’t know what was going on with her lately, but something about all the latest events was doing things to her emotions and she couldn’t take it.

“Did we…?” She had a vague memory of slamming him against her front door and kissing him like her life depended on it. 

“No Michelle.” He pressed another kiss to her head before moving his hand back under the covers, settling it on her hip as he squeezed her tight. “We didn’t. You know I wouldn’t do that.”

“Oh. Okay.” Part of her was hoping that they had had sex, that they could just get the hard part out of the way.

But another part of her was glad that they hadn’t because she wanted to be sure that she was able to remember it when it happened.

“We will, someday, I promise.” He sounded a little disappointed and she hated that she had made him feel like it was something that he may never get from her. “When the time is right.”

“When will that be?” She figured she probably should have known the answer to that question because she had a feeling that he was leaving it up to her.

“Whenever you’re ready.” He whispered, his body remaining still beside her as he tried to steady his breaths.

She tilted her head up to look at him and when she saw how uncertain her looked she felt her heart sink.

“Owen…” She sat up then, moving herself to straddle his hips as she stared down at him with a soft look and loving eyes. “I really, really want to.”

“Good,” He pushed himself up so that he was sitting as well, pulling her closer to him before settling his hands on her hips, “because I really, really want to too.”

She smiled at him before leaning forward, pressing her lips against his softly.

“You still me owe me that date.” She raised an eyebrow as she pulled back, reminding him of the promise he had made a few days ago.

“And I intend to take you on it.” He leaned forward then, pressing his lips to her forehead. “Next Friday. We’re both off all weekend. We can do dinner Friday night and then spend all weekend in bed if you want.”

“If I want?” She tilted her head to the side and smirked at him as he chuckled. “I suppose that would be okay.”

“You suppose?” He tickled her sides as his head fell to her shoulder, his lips pressing against the skin slowly as he quickly flipped them and moved to hover above her. “That’s it? That’s all I’m worth to you?”

“Oh you are definitely worth so much more.” She leaned up and kissed him with all the passion she could muster, the tension from earlier disappearing into the darkness of the room as they let their lips do the talking for a little bit.

Once exhaustion took them both over again they returned to their earlier positions, both falling asleep almost instantly.

The only thing on both of their minds being their date that was only eight days away.

Michelle thought they might be the longest eight days of her life.


End file.
